Assistant Practitioner

Supports clinical service delivery, cares for individuals and performs simple protocol-driven clinical diagnostic imaging examinations.

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About the role

Assistant Practitioners perform clinical tasks that might otherwise be undertaken by a radiographer or equivalent health care professional in clinical imaging or radiotherapy. Their work is protocol-driven within a defined scope of practice. They work under the supervision of Radiographers, Nuclear Medicine Technologists, Sonographers and registered nurses. Assistant Practitioners are primarily patient-facing, undertaking many of the roles and responsibilities of Senior Clinical Support Workers, such as cannulation and positioning of patients, as well as clinical tasks performed by Radiographers.

  • Differences between assistant practitioners and diagnostic radiographers

    Practice Area

    Assistant Practitioner

    Radiographer

    Scope of practice

    		Narrow and limited to standard protocolsFollows protocols and standard operating procedures – escalates to diagnostic radiographer where outside scope or protocol

    Patient type

    		Co-operative patientsAll patients

    Decision making

    		Follows protocols and standard operating procedures – escalates to diagnostic radiographer where outside scope or protocolMakes decisions and guides assistant practitioner where decisions fall outside their scope of practice, such as urgent or unexpected findings

    Supervision

    		Follows protocols and standard operating procedures – escalates to diagnostic radiographer where outside scope or protocolSupervises assistant practitioner and works in own supervisory framework as autonomous practitioner

     

Knowledge, skills, competencies and qualifications

  • An assistant practitioner role requires practical, theoretical and technical knowledge and understanding of a subject or field of work to find ways forward in broadly defined, complex contexts. 
  • The role analyses, interprets and evaluates relevant information, concepts and ideas. Assistant practitioners are aware of the nature and scope of the area of study or work, which will be clearly defined and documented in a local policy document along with any regulatory entitlements. 
  • Staff at this level understand different perspectives, approaches or schools of thought and the reasoning behind them, and determine, adapt and use appropriate methods, cognitive and practical skills to complete work activities, inform actions and address problems. 
  • They use relevant research or development in their work, and also evaluate actions, methods and results. 

Key responsibilities

  • Maintain a clean and safe environment in an imaging department
  • Manage stock and consumables in an imaging department
  • Manage data relevant to the clinical imaging environment
  • Documentation
  • Communicate appropriately with patients, other support staff, radiographers, sonographers, nuclear medicine technologists, radiologists and the wider imaging team

View table of responsibilities

Level requirements

Assistant practitioners require:

  • Education Level 5
    (such as a foundation degree apart from mammography; where a Level 4 apprenticeship for a mammography associate is also available).

The content of the Level 5 qualification should provide equivalent underpinning knowledge as that of a radiographer performing the same examinations, such as: 

  • Techniques and protocols for image acquisition
  • The physics of image formation and image capture 
  • Biology and radiobiology
  • Radiation protection and dose management where relevant to scope of practice
  • Legislation and standards
  • Anatomy, physiology and pathology
  • Patient pathways • patient care
  • Imaging equipment
  • Radiology-specific information systems
  • Image management and storage
  • Safety procedures including QA/QC and incident reporting
  •  Team working
  • Communication
  • Leadership

More on recommended education

Staff at this level should have the specific learning that supports their role in diagnostic radiography, such as

  • Radiation safety and magnetic field safety,
  • Knowledge of diagnostic imaging examinations,
  • Patient care: preparation and aftercare,
  • Equipment for sterile procedures; including trolley setting
  • QA/QC checks for imaging equipment and accessories.

Recommended pathway

RoleEntry-level education requirementsTraining and education once in post
Assistant practitioner
Level 5

(Equivalent lvl.5 qualification and A-Levels, GCSEs or equivalent)

- Foundation degree Health and Social Care
- Level 5 Apprenticeship 
(such as AP Apprenticeship)
  • Will have completed (or be working towards) a Level 5 qualification, or SCQF level 8 qualification in Scotland
  • Once in role, carry out competency based development
  • Role specific local training, national training, and online learning (such as eLFH or PCI). 
  •  Typically matches to AfC Band 4

Life in the role

Kyle Jewitt who's an Assistant Practitioner at Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Kyle, sheds light on his position, how he's developing and the importance of having a continual cohort in order to develop radiographers.

Kyle Jewitt

Assistant Practitioner 

Gloucester Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Life as a diagnostic radiographer

Radiography is one of the most innovative aspects of healthcare – you’ll use advanced technology to look inside patients’ bodies and understand the root causes of their illness, and consult with colleagues on diagnosis and treatment plans.

Life as a therapeutic radiographer

You’ll be a source of hope and care for those diagnosed with cancer. Using radiotherapy, you’ll collaborate with other healthcare professionals to create individual treatment plans that blend technical expertise with emotional support for your patients.

Support worker case studies


Alison Jenkins | Assistant Practitioner, MRI Circle Health Group at the Duchy Hospital, Harrogate.Alison Jenkins | Assistant Practitioner, MRI
Circle Health Group at the Duchy Hospital, Harrogate

Clinical support workers, senior clinical support workers, mammography associates and assistant practitioners play key roles in the provision of patient-centred imaging and radiotherapy services alongside Radiographers and associated professionals. 

They come into diagnostic imaging or radiotherapy services from diverse backgrounds.

Read our case study here

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